The cost of the Festival Market Square makeover will be about $1.4 million less than the original bid after officials worked with a construction company to scale back the project.

On Tuesday, city commissioners will vote on a $1,189,349 bid from Hoffman Bros. Inc. to complete the project. They also will consider whether to authorize change orders that are pre-approved and initiated by the city of up to 15 percent of the total project cost.

Hoffman Bros., the Battle Creek company that also did the work for the recent Michigan Avenue construction, originally had the lowest of two bids last month at $2,582,200. The higher-than-expected price tag delayed the project, for which only $750,000 had been budgeted.

Construction is now is expected to begin this year and, depending on weather, the project could be completed by May 1. It will be paid for by a grant, and the city of Battle Creek is expected to cover the costs of the canopies through capital improvement bond funding.

Much of the savings is because of changes in materials. Brick pavers that were planned to match those along Michigan Avenue will be replaced with plain or stamped concrete. The original plan’s custom-made steel structures for the farmers market now will be pre-manufactured canopies.

To save on consulting fees, the city’s Engineering Department will oversee construction without Grands Rapids-based Integrated Architecture. The Grand Rapids-based firm created renderings for the project and is the same company that designed the makeover of Michigan Avenue.

A city staff memo said a construction estimate from Integrated Architecture was “repeatedly requested prior to and during the bidding process, but was never produced.”

In May, architects unveiled three options for the redesign of Festival Market Square, outside Kellogg Arena and usually the home of the Battle Creek Area Farmers Market. Each one included a center stage and an area for vendors to park produce trucks under a covered structure. In anticipation of the construction — which was originally expected to start this summer — the farmers market moved to the corner of McCamly Street and Hamblin Avenue this year.

Several public-input sessions were held before officials ultimately decided on a design with two canopied areas and a stage that faces toward the street.

Interim City Manager Susan Bedsole said Thursday the changes cut costs to make the project affordable but stay true to the aspects the community said it wanted.

“That was important to us,” Bedsole said. “It was important that we had made a commitment. And we really rolled up our sleeves and figured out what were some alternatives to make the project a success.”

City officials and Battle Creek Unlimited say the redesign of the site is crucial to downtown redevelopment and will create an outdoor gathering site for live entertainment and other events.

“The city is making great strides to complete the improvements to Festival Market Square in the timeline that was promised to the community, despite the significant setbacks that were beyond our control,” BCU Downtown Development Director Rob Peterson said. “I’ve been impressed with their ability to develop a plan and work with their contractors to make the modifications required to fit a reasonable budget. This is going to be a great addition to downtown.”

Kris Charles, spokesperson for Kellogg Co., said company officials – whose corporate headquarters are across the street from the site — have seen the project plans and “look forward to the enhancements to Festival Market Square.”